Spring controlled venetian blind



Aug. 23, 1938. R c, PRATT' I 2,128,163 SPRING CONTROLLED VENETIAN BLIND I Original Filed July 21, 1952 8 shetssheet 1 Y I INVENTOR.

' ATTORNEY.

Aug.-23, 1938. Q PRATT 2,128,163

srnme CONTROLLED Y'ENETIAN BLIND Originl Filed Jfily- 21, 1932 8 Sheets-She et 2 INVENTOR. flfi'.

ATTORNEY.

Aug. 23, 1938. R. c. PRATT 2,128,163

' SPRI ZNG CONTROLLED VENETIAN BLIND Original Filed July 21, 1932 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 Aug. 23,, 1938; R. c. P ATT SPRING CONTROLLED VENETIAN BLIND 1 Original Filed July 21, 1932 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTORNEY.-

we 2 1938- f R. c. PRATT 2 ,128,163

SPRIN CONTROLLED VENETIAN BLIND Original Filed July 21, 1932 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

- L. PM,

ATTORNEY.

R-1 1938: R. qpmn- 2,128,163

- SPRINGCONTROLLED VENETIAN BLIND ori inal Filed July 21, 1932 a Sheets-Sheet 6 ATTORNEY.

Aug. j23, 193s.

-R. c. PRATT 2,128,163

SPRING CONTROLLED VENETIAN BLIND- Original Filed July 21, 1932 8-Sheets-$heet '7 u 9 5 R c. PRATT Q 2,128,163

' SPRING. CONTROLLED VENE'IIAN BLIND Qrigix'ial Filed. July 21, 1932 v a Shgets-Sheet a 'INVENTORQ fl 402,

ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATE 1 basema 23, 1938 smme oos'rnonmn VENETIAN sum Raymond C. Pratt, Chicago,- mesne assignments, toli Ili., assignor, by B. Dodge -and Compsny. Chicago. 111., a corporation oi Illinois Application July 21. 1932, Serial No. 623,802 Renewed December 5, 1984 Claims. (01. 156-17) -The object of the present invention is to Simplify and improve the supporting and controlling means for Venetian blinds. so as to adapt them toa much wider field of usefulness than- 5 they have heretofore enjoyed.

So far as I am aware, the raising andlowering of Venetian blinds has beenaccomplished by means of pull cords, chains and the like. One of the objects of thepresent inventionis to adapt a blind of this type for operation by a spring roller, whereby it may be raised and lowered in the manner of an ordinary window shade.

In one of its forms my invention is adapted to be used as a window shade for railway cars and the like. Therefore, viewed in one of its aspects, my invention may be said to have for its object to produce a simple and novel construction whereby a Venetian blind may be hung from a spring roller similar to the shade rollers nowemployed in railway passenger cars and the raising and lowering thereof be controlled in the same manner as ordinary window shades in such cars.

"A further object of the present invention is to produce a Venetian'blind which, when used in a railway car, may serve as a ventilator and to admit air in such a direction that it will not blow directly upon the passenger beside the same.

,A further object of the present invention is to produce a metal Venetian blindthat will take up but. little space when raised.

A further object of the'invention is to-lock a Venetian blind against swaying movements and consequent rattling when strong or ,gusty winds are blowing against the same or when a railway car equipped-with the same is. swaying or is running over a rough piece of track.

A further object of the present invention is to make it possible conveniently to shift the slats of a Venetian blind into anydesired angular positions so as,v forflexample, to permit a passenger to look outv of a carwindow without enabling outsiders to look in; and, if desired, to lock the slatsin any position into which they may be brought, while holding the blind as a whole substantially rigid.

A further object of the present invention is to produce a simple and novel all-metal Venetian .blind which be substantially noiseless in operating-the same.

The various features ofnovelty whereby my inventionflis. characterized will herein be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but. for a full understanding of my inventionand of its.

, window below that appearing in Fig.

la a front elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 8,

a hori- .Fig.;10; Fig. 13 is a two 191 Film-22, 23,

is objects and advantages, reference may be had v showing only fragments of .sections through the to the following detailed descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

: Figure 1 is a front elevation of one of my improved blinds, the slats being horizontal, to- "5 gether with so much of a surrounding window frame as is necessary to show themanner of mounting the blind in the latter; Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, on a muchlarger scale,

showing oniya fragment of. theblind and win- 10 dow frame and the blind being in its raised position, whereas in' Fig. 1 it is in its lowered position; Fig. 3.is a section on line .H of Fig. 2, the window frame and of the shade stick; Fig. 4 is a section on the slats standing horizontal instead of vertical; Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the partsshown v in Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a sectionyon line 8-8 of Fig. 5; r Fig. 7 is a view simil to Fig. 4, showing the 20 slats in substantially u ght positions; Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7, showing portiogs gi thg the window sill being omitted; Fig. 10 is aontal'section. on a still larger scale, through the. shade. between two of the slats. while the slats are in horizontal positions, only a frag-' ment being shown; Fig. 11 is afrontelevation I of the parts shown in Fig. 10, only two .slats appearing; Figr'12 is a section on.line l2-.-i'2 of V perspective viewof one of the clips that fasten the flexible chains to the slats; Fig; 14 is a bottom plan view of one end of one of the slats; Fig. 15 is an end edge view of the slat appearing'in Fig. 14: Fig. 16 is a front elevation of a modified form of operating means for the slat-engaging andholding members, together with fragments of such members and of of the slats; Fig. 1'! is a view looking at the construction of Fig. 16 from the right-hand side of that figure; the' slats being shown in section; Fig.18is a section on line l' r-l. of Fig. 16; Fig. 19 is a front elevation ofjfragments of a window frame andone of the blinds, illustrating a -modined form of slat-engaging, blind-holding means; Fig. 20- is a view looking at the construction shown, in Fig. 19 from a point toward the right of Fig 19, the window sill being shown in sectioning. 21 is a section on line 2l+-2l of Fig.

24; 25 and 26 are elevations, showing end portions of iivediflerent modified forms of new Figs. '27,- 2c,.2s and scars cross slats shown in Figs. 22, 23,

24 and 25, respectively;

line l5 4-4 of Fig. 1, on a larger scale, and showing Fig. 31- is an end view so of the slats shown in Fig. 26; Fig. 32 is an elevation of a fragment of a modified form of slatengaging member for holding the blind; and Fig. 33 is a transverse section through the members shown in Fig. 32.

Referring to Figs. 1-15, i, I represent a'series of slats illustrated as being made of sheet metal, which is the preferred form, although, in certain aspects of the invention, the material of which the slats is made is of no importance. Above the uppermost slat is a heavy slat or bar '2 that may conveniently be of the same length and width as the slats I. Also, below the lowermost slat is a second flat bar 3 similar to the bar 2. The upper and lower bars are connected together at both their long edges, toward opposite ends, by means of flexible tape-like members 4, 4, each of which is also connected to each slat. The members 4, as best shown in Figs. 11 and 12, are bands or strips composed of many small metal links woven together and may therefore be regarded as metal webbing. The metal webbings are not connected directly to the slats and bars, but are hinged to the ends of plates 5 fixed to and extending transversely of the slats; each plate being longer than the width of a slat so as to project from both long edges of the latter. The central portions of each of the plates 5 are cut away at the ends to produce separated arms 6, 6. The outer or free ends of the arms are bent into the form of short tubes I; the tubes at the same end of each plate being in axial alignment.- The webbings are threaded through metal clips 8 each long enough to fit exactly between two of the tubular elements I at one end of one of the plates 5; each clip having, on whatmay be termed the rear or inner side, a

tubular part 9 adapted to register with the two tubular elements 1 between which the clip may be placed. The webbings are clamped between the body portions of theclips and the tubular elements to cause the clips'to be fixed thereto. By passing a pin l0 through two of the tubular elements I andthe interposed tubular part 9 of the corresponding clip, a connection is effected between a slat or bar and one of the metal webbings. Each ofthe plates 5 and the corresponding slat, as well as each of the bars 2 and 3, has

therein a large central opening ll through which extends a thin flexible band or tape [2, preferably of steel. The lower end of each of these two bands or tapes is connected to a shade stick I3 which may be of any of the types commonly found on theshades of railway cars for the purpose of lockingthe shade in any adjusted position. The upper end of each or the tapes I2 is attached to a spring shade roller l4 which may be of any usual or suitable type. Where the shade stick serves frictionally or otherwise to lock the lower end of the shade or blind to the stationary framework of the window, the shade roller need simply contain a spring l5, as shown in Fig. 5, which constantly exerts a force tending to turn the roller in a direction to raise the blind.

The blind unit is shown as-mounted on and supported by two vertical rails i8 secured to the inner sides of the side members of a window frame A. The rails are channel-shaped; the troughs or channels in the two rails facing each other. As

best shown in Fig. 14, each slat may have fixed to its ends pieces I! of fiber or other sound-deadening material; these pieces being so shaped that they will enter the troughs or channels in the rails and thus prevent the shade or blind from swinging or moving bodily toward the inside or the outside of the window. The shade stick it has at its ends shoes l8 that partially embrace the rails, whereby the shade stick may slide up and down but be held against movements in other directions. The lower tilting bar 3 is supported at its ends in bearings IS on the shoes i8 for swinging or tilting movements around its long central axis. The shade roller and the upper tilting bar 2 are preferably mounted between separate brackets 20 and 2| fixed to the inner sides of the side members of the window frame, toward the top.

As heretofore stated, the spring in the shade roller tends constantly to lift the blind, but is restrained by the action of the locking shade stick. Upon pressing the finger pieces 22 at the middle of the shade stick, the stick becomes free to move up or down and, therefore, the shade roller winds up the thin, flexible suspending tapes l2 until the blind has been collapsed, as shown in Fig. 2. It will be seen that, when the blind is collapsed, the slats may approach each other until the clips thereon are all in contact with each other on opposite sides of the blind; the flexible webs 4 folding outwardly in each span between adjacent clips. Because of the flexibility of the metal webs, they will not project horizontally when folded, but will hang down in the form of loops and thus take up very little room.

It will be seen that, by making the suspending tapes l2 of thin material, they may be wound on the shade roller in accurately overlying layers, so that the lift or pull thereof is always in the vertical direction.

When the blind is down, the slats may be in approximately upright positions, as shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, thereby forming, in effect, a solid opaque panel. However, the slats may be turned so as to occupy anyone of various angular positions to admit the passage of varying amounts of light or air, or both. Thus, in Figs. 1, 4 and 5, the slats are shown as occupying horizontal positions. Since the slats and the upper and lower tilting bars are tied together at their opposed long edges, each of these elements must move angularly about its long central axisto the same extent as do all the others, whenever there is any tilting actionl While the interlocking of the slats with the vertical side rails will hold the blind against flapping and rattling in windy weather, as long as the slats are horizontal, yet, when the slats are in other positions, the rails can serve only to limit the swaying movement of the blind and not to prevent it. I have, therefore, provided means for effectively holding the blind and all its parts stationary regardless of the angular positions of the slats. This I accomplish by means of four long vertical holding bars arranged in pairs 24 "and 25 near the opposite vertical edges of the shade or blind; the bars 24 lying in front of the slats and the bars 25 lying behind the slats. These bars are hung from the tilting bar 2 at their upper ends. As best shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the bar 2 has at its front edge, near the ends thereof, pairs of ears 25, together with similar pairs of ears 21 at the rear edge. The bars 24 extend at their upper ends between the corresponding ears 25, whereas the bars 25 extend at their upper ends between the corresponding ears 21. The holding bars are connected to and suspended from the ears in which they lie by means of pins 28 extending through the bars and the adjacent ears. With this construction, the holding bars engage with the opposite long edges of the slats, remaining in engagement therewith as the slats are tilted. The holding bars may be faced on their inner edges, as indicatedat' 29 in Fig. 4, with a suitable cushioning material, such 'as leather or the like. Therefore,- if the,

lower ends-oi the holding bars are controlled so that these bars always remain parallel with each v other, the blind cannot at any' timesway or rattle. In the arrangement shown, as will best be seen from Figs. 8 and 9, thebars 24 and 25 have thereomnear thelower ends thereof, laterally projectingplates 3i and ii provided with cam slots 32 and 38, respectively. Fastened to and projecting from the'vertical members of the 1 window frame beside each of the plates 30 and Si is a post 34. Headed screws 35 extend through the slots 31 and into the corresponding stationary posts. The heads on the screws prevent the holding bars from swayin toward and from the sides of the window opening but do not prevent theplates J and ii from being shifted on,the screws withinthe limits oi the slots inthe plates. The slots are so designed that the holding bars may move up and down as the angular positions of the slats vary and, while making these vertical movements, remain in contact withthe edges of the slats. V

The slats may conveniently be shifted into any desired angular position by simply turning the upper tilting bar 2. I have provided, suitable means tor conveniently turning this bar. To this end, there is fixed to one end of the tilting bar a gear-wheel 31 that meshes with a vertical, vertically-movablerack bar 38 held in mesh with the gear wheel by a stationary guide 39. This rack bar is attached to the upper end of a long rod 40 that extends'down along one of the side members of the window irame to a point near the bottom of the window and is there provided with a toothed ,or rack section 41. Meshing with the teeth ofthe section 4| is a'pinion 42 on I the end of a shaft or stem 43 provided with a button or head 44 by. means oi. which it may be turned. By the mere" actoi turning thehandle or button 44 the slatsmay be adjusted into any angular position within the limits of movement of the slats.

In Figs. 16-18, I have shown a modified operat ing means for the holding bars that locks them in any position into which they may be brought. .Lying between the lower ends of the bars 48 and T44 of each pair is a bracket'4'l, hinged at'its ends to, the bars and supported at the middle ior swinging movements. conveniently by passing a 1 pin 40 through the bracket and a stationary part -4l..--At least. one of the brackets has a worm. wheel segment ll fixed thereto with its center at the'pivotal axis oi the bracket. Engaged with the worm wheel segment is a worm "on s stem or shaft 82 iourn'alled in a stationary member II which may be integral with the stationary element 4|. On the 'outerend oi! the stem or shaft.

I! isabutton *or head 84 for turning-the same.

When themember I4 is turned, the holding, bars 4! and '48- are moved lengthwise irom'or toward each other, asIthe case may be, causingthe upper tilting bar and the slats to be turned 7 and to be locked in any angular positions into which theymay be brought. In Figs. 19-21, I have shown another modified mechanism for turning and locking the'alats and operating and locking the holding bars. In this arrangement the upper tilting bar 2 has a bevel .pinion It on one end instead or the spur gear of the first form. Meshing with the pinion-It is 75 a complementary-gear II on the upper, end of a w 3- vertical shaft I I at one side of the window opening. On the lower endof the shaft BI is a worm wheel 59 engaged by a worm C0. The worm 80 is on a shaft 4| having at its outer end a button or head 02 by which it may 'be turned. In this 5 form oi my invention, the operation of the shade or blind is the same as in the first form except worm devices and bevel gears replace two racks and pinions; the result being, however, that the holding bars and the slats and tilting bars are locked in the various positions into-which they are broughtby turning the operating button or head.

The slats of which the blind is made may take any one of a variety of forms. Thus, in Figs. 22 and 27 is shown a slat composed of a sheet metal tube flattened to produce two longitudinal flat sections 85, 05 lying on opposite sides or a central tubular section 86.

The slat shown in Figs. 23 and 28 consists of a flat strip of thicker metal than that of which the other slats which I have illustrated are made.

In Figs. 24 and 29 is shown a slat similar to that in Figs. 22 and 27, excepting that the sheet metal tubular member is flattened to provide edge elements '8, it in the form 01' tubes of small diameter extending throughout the length of the slat. whereas the central panel of the slat is a halt stripof twice the thickness oi! the metalof which the original tube was made.

In Figs. and 30 is shown a slat' similar to that illustrated in Figs. 1-15; the same being composed. a of a ilat strip II having marginal portions II at the long edges curled or rolled inwardly to form stiffening beads. The diflerence between this slat and the one shown in Figs. 1 15 is that the end piece 12, corresponding to the end piece il in Fig.

14, is a continuation oi the body portion of the slat instead of being a separate piece. The slat shown in Figs. 26 and 31 consists of a sheet metal tube collapsed to produce-a flat strip IS; the collapsing being not quite completed adjacent to the longitudinal edges of the strip, whereby the strip will be bounded at its lon edges by small, hollow, tube-like sections 14.

In Figs. 32 and 33, I have shown a modified form of holding bar which may consist oi. a wood-.- en bar II faced on two sides with leather or other cushioning material 14. Set on edge into one sideof the bar and extending lengthwise thereof is a flat metal bar 11.

The particular construction of several of the slats per se and the method of making them are disclosed and claimed in applicant's co-pending It will thus be' seen that I have produced a simple and. novel Venetian blind which, even though of metal, may be rustproofand noiseless in operation: 'whicnis' supported and controlled in such a manner that it may be operated as simplyand easily'as an ordinary shade hung from a' spring roller, while retaining all oithe advantages resulting from the slat construction of this typ o blind: whichgwill not" sway orrattle'when winds or air currents are blo'wn'against it; in 65.

which the angle of the slats may be easily ad-' iusted: in which the movable parts may be locked in stationary positions, not only to prevent sway-- ing, napping, or rattling ot the blind, but to hold the slats iixed in any angular positions into which they maybe adjusted; in which the slats may belocked in substantially-wertical positions so as to give the eilect of a blind in the form of a single sheet; and which makes it possible to set the slats at any desired angle to deiiect any quick incom-js ing currents of air, provide a shield against the sun's rays without darkening the opening in which the blind is placed, and permit a person to look out through the blind without allowing others to look in. Therefore, my improved blind, while not limited in its use to that field, is especially applicable to railway passenger cars and the like.

While I have illustrated and described with particularity only a single preferred form of my invention, with a few modifications, I do not desire to be limited to the exact structural details thus illustrated and described; but intend to cover all forms and arrangements which come within the definitions of my invention constituting the appended claims.

I claim:

l. The combination with a Venetian blind, of rigid holding bars extending lengthwise thereof on opposite sides thereof, and means to hold said bars stationary and in contact with the slats of the blind in all of the various angular positions of the slats.

2. The combination with a Venetian blind including a series of slats and flexible connecting means between the same, said blind having at one end a slat in the form of a bar, means to support the bar for tilting movements about its long central axis, vertical holding bars hung from the tilting bar in front of and behind the blind, the distance between upper ends of the holding bars when the slats are horizontal being equal to the width of the slats, and means cooperating with the lower ends of the holding bars to keep them vertical in all angular positions of the tilting bar.

3. The combination with a Venetian blindhaving at one end a slat in the form of a bar, means to support the bar for tilting movements about its long central axis, vertical holding bars hung from the tilting bar in front of and behind the blind, the distance between upper ends of the holding bars when the slats are horizontal being equal to the width of the slats, a stationary member, connections between the lower ends of the holding bars and said stationary member to keep the holding bars in contact with the slats as the slats are turned, a handle, and means controlled by the handle to turn the tilting bar.

4. The combination with a Venetian blind including a series of slats and flexible connecting means between the same, said blind having at one end a slat in the form of a bar, means to support the bar for tilting movements about its long central axis, vertical holding bars hung from the tilting bar in front of and behind the blind, the distance between upper ends of the holding bars when the slats are horizontal being equal to the width of the slats, and means including a worm and a worm wheel to turn the tilting bar and lock it in any position into which it may be brought.

5. The combination with a Venetian blind having at one end a slat in the form of a bar, means to support the bar for tilting movements about its long central axis, vertical holding bars hung from the tilting bar in front of and behind the blind, the distance between upper ends of the holding bars when the slats are horizontal being equal to the width of the slats, a cross piece extending between and hinged at its ends to the lower ends of said holding bars, means acting on said cross piece to restrain it against movements except swinging movements about an axis parallel with the tilting axis of the tilting bar, a worm wheel-fixed. to said cross piece, a worm meshing with said wheel, and a finger piece to turn the worm.

6. The combination with a window frame, of upright'rails secured at opposite sides thereof, said rails having troughs on their inner sides, a shade containing transverse metal slats mounted in said frame, and rigid members of sound-deadening material secured rigidly to the ends of the slats and extending freely into the troughs of the rails and holding the metalof the slats away from said rails.

7. A blind composed 01' metal slat-like members, and flexible bands oi metal webbing extending from top to bottom on opposite sides of the said members, clips embracing and gripping said bands, and means pivotally'connecting the clips to the long edges of said members.

8. A slat shade comprising a plurality of metal slats, means for suspending the slats in superposed spaced relation, means for moving the slats relatively toward each other, guides adjacent the sides of the shade for guiding the slats in their movement, and rigid members of sound-deadening material different from the material of which the slats are composed secured rigidly to the slats and freely engageable with the guides.

9. A slat shade comprising a plurality of slats, means for securing the slats in superposed spaced relation, a spring having connections for moving the slats relatively toward each other, primary guiding means for guiding the slats in their movements, supplemental guiding means, and

means for adjusting the angularity of the slats,

said supplemental guiding means being maintain'ed in engagement with opposite edges of the slats in all angular positions thereof.

10. A slat shade comprising a plurality of slats, means for securing the slats in superposed spaced relation, means for moving the slats relatively to-- ward each other, and means for adjusting the angularity of the slats, said adjusting means comprising an oscillatable cross member, connections from the member to the slats, a gear secured to the member, a second gear adapted for manual operation, and a toothed rack in operative engagement with both of said gears.

RAYMOND C. PRATT. 

